The Minnesota Vikings will try to bounce back from their first loss of the 2026 NFL season when they face the Buffalo Bills in a marquee, Week 9 "Monday Night Football" matchup.
The Vikings will be looking to do so without the services of their normal starting quarterback, Kyler Murray.
Murray is set to miss Minnesota's Week 9 game while recovering from a hamstring injury. It will be his second missed start of the 2026 season after he missed Week 2 because of a concussion that also sidelined him for a majority of the team's Week 1 win over the Green Bay Packers.
Here's what to know about Murray's injury, including how the Vikings will replace him and when he might return to action.
What happened to Kyler Murray?
Murray is dealing with a hamstring injury that will keep him out
of the Vikings' Week 9 game against the Bills.
Murray suffered the injury during the Vikings' Week 8 loss to the Detroit Lions. He was able to play through it despite it limiting his mobility.
However, the Vikings ruled Murray out ahead of their "Monday Night Football" game in Week 9 after additional testing revealed the extent of the 29-year-old's injury.
Kyler Murray injury update
Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters at a Thursday, Nov. 5, news conference Murray would be "week-to-week" because of a hamstring strain.
"After evaluating Kyler on Monday, getting some imagery and things, we did determine he does have a hamstring strain," O'Connell said, per the Vikings' official website. "We don't believe it to be more than a week-to-week kind of thing right now."
O'Connell further explained the Vikings' decision to sit Murray was partly a preventative measure to ensure his injury would not get any worse.
"For him, his movement skills and the way he plays the game," O'Connell said. "We do feel like we'd be putting him at risk of possibly turning this into a more significant injury than it is by trying to have him work through it here early on."
Who is the Vikings backup QB?
Carson Wentz is entrenched as the backup to Murray. The 33-year-old led the Vikings to a win in relief of Murray in Week 1 and in his Week 2 start against the Chicago Bears while completing 59% of his passes for 276 yards and three touchdowns.
Wentz has a 50-49-1 record across 100 career starts with the Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs and Vikings and has posted an 89.3 career passer rating. He finished third in the NFL's MVP voting in 2017 and won a Super Bowl with that Eagles team – though he did not start in the postseason after suffering a late-season ACL tear.
O'Connell expressed confidence in Wentz when announcing him as the starter for Week 9.
"Obviously there's a ton of confidence in Carson," O'Connell said, per the Vikings' official website. "He's already helped us – had a major role in two wins this year against two really good teams. He's a steady presence and a guy we know."
Vikings QB depth chart
The Vikings have three quarterbacks currently in their organization, all of whom are on their 53-man roster. Below is a look at the team's pecking order at the position:
- Kyler Murray (injured)
- Carson Wentz
- Max Brosmer
Naturally, Brosmer will serve as the backup to Wentz with Murray out of action. The second-year quarterback joined the Vikings after going undrafted out of Minnesota in 2025 and appeared in seven games as a rookie. He went 1-1 in two starts while completing 66.2% of his passes for 328 yards, no touchdowns and four interceptions.
The Vikings have not clarified who will serve as their emergency quarterback behind Wentz and Brosmer.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What happened to Kyler Murray? Injury update for Vikings QB
